First P-Day!

Hola Familia!

Well, I have officially made it to my first P-Day.  Everyone says that if you make it this far, the rest of the MTC time will be easy.  Things here are CRAZY!  But I love it.  I already told you about my first day here in the letter (assuming you got it).  Well, not much has changed since then! By the way, thank you so much for the package and the DearElder letters.  DearElder is the best way to get hold of me for sure!  Try to get the boys to do it as well.

My companion and I loved the package! It was nice to have a little something for Easter, and now I have a cute little orange monkey hanging above my bed.

I have already grown so much since I got here.  I absolutely love it!  Saying goodbye to you guys was so incredibly hard, but now that I'm here, there's no where else I would rather be because I know there's nowhere else the Lord would have me be.  There's so much I want to say and I don't know how to fit it all in! I have an annoying little timer on the top of my screen that's trying to control my life!

So. . .

PEOPLE I'VE SEEN HERE:
Elder Matthew Cutler (Layton)
Elder Blake Wayment (Layton)
Elder Braeden Adams (DHHS)
Elder Mike Needham (DHHS) (Also my new zone leader!)
Elder Jaron Gerber (SUU)
Sister Madsen (SUU)
Sister Kat Jack (ALL THE TIME!)
Elder Eric Cassidy (Layton)
Sister Jenna Miller (DHHS)
I think there's even more than that! Don't I have some amazing friends???

People keep telling me that I just need to expect to have several breakdowns. . .but I haven't come anywhere close to breaking down since right before dad dropped me off!  Everyone says that work is too hard and exhausting, which is true, but there are so many amazing things that make me strong.

FOR EXAMPLE:

The Lord has sent me dozens of sweet tender mercies.
I have amazing friends that have sent me letters.
My awesome parents wrote me and sent me an Easter package.
The Spirit is incredible here.
My companion is amazing!
Every temple is constantly filled with people who pray for the missionaries.
Just about every LDS family prays for the missionaries each night.
And so much more!

So, call me crazy, but I want to testify to you guys that I know the gift of tongues is real.  Like seriously, it's amazing.  Guess what I did in fast and testimony meeting with my branch yesterday? Stood up and bore my testimony. . in SPANISH!!!  It was such an amazing feeling. 

We've been teaching our first "investigator" and it is SO cool!  I'm actually able to have conversations with him and it just warms my heart.  He is fun to talk to and asks us lots of Gosepl questions and questions about our personal lives.  At the end of our last lesson, he turned to my companion and said (in Spanish), "Well, Hermana Simonson speaks Spanish, but you have a boyfriend.  Don't worry, Hermana Price, you're much better off!"  I laughed so hard.  Sister Price laughed too, after i translated it for her.  She's had a really hard time with the language and it breaks my heart.  She had a complete breakdown the other night and all I could do is hug her and tell her that it will come. 

Sister Price is one of my biggest blessings I have here in the MTC! WE are super similar.  We both love to run, so my morning workouts have been awesome!  We got talking and found out that we've been to some of the same concerts.  We have a lot of fun together and we make each other strong.

Ahhh! The clock is ticking insanely fast and I don't know where to go next! Let's see. . .Easter Sunday!  Wow, yesterday was amazing! Bishop Causse of the Presiding Bishopric came and spoke to us and it was awesome.  It was also an extremely historical event.  For the first time, they passed the sacrament to 3,000 missionaries all at once, in the same room.  The Spirit was insanely powerful! Later, we had Fast and Testimony meetings with just our branches.  My branch is small, but I love it.

Whenever I get dressed in the morning, I feel like I am putting on the Armor of God.  It's awesome!  I have my CTR ring, my YW medallion, my Honor Bee, my garments, and finally, my missionary name tag.  It's so cool!  All of these things represent the different steps I've taken in my life as I've prepared for this ay.  I really have been being prepared for this since Primary.  Wearing the nameplate makes me so happy!  it feels great to look in the mirror and see my name right next to JESUCRISTO.  I'll send you some pictures soon.  The best is at night when I'm wearing my nameplate with my Batman pajamas! It makes me feel like a DOUBLE superhero.

I've been nicknamed the "baby" of my room. . .and my district. . .and my zone.  I am the only 19 year old girl in the whole zone!  My district is almost all future Peruvian Missionaries, but me and Sister Price are the only girls in the whole MTC that are headed to the Lima North Mission.  People weren't kidding when they told me that they rarely send American sisters there. .yay for the jungle!

We have a very specific schedule. . .with meals and everything!  I thought I'd get by just eating 3 meals a day like a normal person, but by the second day I was shaking horribly and I got sent to the dietician.   I got a special pass to allow me to take food out of the cafeteria, eat in class, and eat on Fast Sunday (like yesterday).  It didn't seem like a big deal to me at all, but people make it huge!

The dietician had to inform the doctors, my teacher, my branch president, and everyone in my district.  Awesome.  People treat me like I am dying and I just wanna be like, "Dude!  I have a disease where I get to eat all the time and have special permission to get extra food.  If anything, be jealous of me!"

AHHHH!  I have to go! I wish I could write more. . .I'll send you a letter!  I love you guys so very, very much.  Being here has made me realize that even more.  Thank you for everything you do for me! I miss you like crazy and please continue to write.

Love,
Hermana Simonson